Stargate SG-1 That Ol' Pavlov Theory
by Unnamed.in.whispers
Summary: After Nirti has experimented on Jonas, Jack is reluctant to let the young man out of his But a mission to a plant housing another g'ould opium machine changes their relationship The come-down .. that's the real


**Title:** That ol' Pavlov theory **Pairing:** Jack/Jonas

**Series:** Stargate SG-1

**Rating:** 18R **Type:** AU

**Summary:** After Nirti has experimented on Jonas, Jack is reluctant to let the young man out of his sight.

But a mission to a plant housing another g'ould opium machine changes their relationship entirely.

The come-down though... that's the real bitch.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the SG-1 characters or anything from the universe of Stargate. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to MGM for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual series. Enjoy.

()()()()

It was hot and sticky and there was far too much sand for Jacks liking.

The Colonel rolled on his side to see the man lying sound asleep next to him. How did Jonas do that anyway?

They were on some alien planet, PX24... something, it was hotter than hell and the bugs were making enough noise to put a p-90 to shame… and the Kelownan was peacefully at rest.

Jack shifted, kicking his sleeping bag free. He hated not being able to sleep when he was off world. It made him extra cranky the next day and the off-world coffee was about as strong as gnats piss. That's if Carter would ration him coffee. She once tried to issue him warm milk… but the murderous look in Jacks eye warned her that had better not happen ever again, or she would wind up Missing In Action.

Jonas snorted beside him, mumbled something quietly and rolled over.

The young man had opted to lie on top of his sleeping bag, wearing his t-shirt and boxers to help him stay cool.

Jack agreed, wiping the beads of sweat from his brow and taking the idea one step further by removing his top. He checked his watch.

Eleven hours until they were meant to meet Carter and Teal'c at the rendezvous.

They had decided to split up so Carter could analyze a new glowing machine she had found in the old ruins of a city. Her eyes had gone all sparkly when she calculated how much energy the thing was putting out.

But there had been a secondary power source on the cities outskirts, which Jonas had insisted on investigating on his own.

Jack had point-blank refused. No way in hell was Jonas wandering off by himself. Not after the whole Nirrti incident. Not a chance. So Jack agreed to go with him, leaving Carter and Teal'c a tent and announcing they were staying out for the night.

Jonas mumbled again… Jack lay very still. It sounded like Jonas was refusing something. He wasn't very happy in the least and made a jerking movement before settling back.

Something hadn't been right with the younger man since that damned mission to Nirrti's mutato-world. Jack knew it had been ever since Jonas had been hauled out of the cage and taken to be experimented on by Nirrti.

Jacks fists balled at the thought of the bitch. Jonas had been up there with her a hell of a lot longer than the rest of them. All the Kelownan would admit was that Nirrti had been interested in his physiology…

_Yeah, right. _

Jack wasn't blind. He'd noticed the looks that G'ould had been giving his scientist.

_Whoa, Jack… back up there a second…_your _scientist?_

Jack shrugged off the inner-voice and thought he was over protective of any member of his team.

"No, stop…" Jonas mumbled, clearly, hands twitching slightly and making more mumbling noises.

_Ah, hell. _Jack thought. Jonas was having a nightmare.

"Get off me.. No…" Jonas was starting to sound panicked. "Jack…"

_That's it. _Jack reached out and shook Jonas' broad shoulder. "Hey, Jonas. You're dreaming."

"No…"

Jack moved closer. "Jonas!"

The aliens eyes flew open.

He all but leapt into Jacks arms. The Colonel automatically locked his hands around the young mans back and held him close. "Sssh..." he soothed.

He felt Jonas relax in his arms and release the tight grip he had taken on Jacks shoulders. _Yep, that'll leave a mark._

Jonas inhaled deeply in Jacks chest. His breathing slowed and he rubbed his face against Jacks muscles. "Colonel?" he asked shakily.

"Yes, Jonas?"

"Why are you naked?"

Jack shifted to see the man. He was a little surprised by the question. "I'm not naked… got my boxers on."

Jonas turned his green eyes on Jack.

"So I can feel." Jack shifted slightly, noticing how tightly Jonas was pressed against him. He wanted to give a biting comment, but nothing formed.

"You were having a nightmare." Jack said, changing subject.

The Kelownan looked at him for a long moment, assessing his answer.

"You would have saved me." Jonas replied, his eyes still locked with Jacks. "You always do."

"In your dreams?" Jack whispered, transfixed.

"Yes, in those too."

It was becoming increasingly warm in their tent, as Jack watched the black pools in Jonas' emerald eyes grow ever bigger. And that wasn't all…

He felt his chest heaving to breathe, meeting Jonas' chest as the alien inhaled. He felt the crumpled t-shirt at the base of the Kelownans back and flexed his fingers, bringing them under the fabric to touch the heated flesh. He tasted Jonas' breath on his lips as they lay there staring into each others eyes.

_Someone should have moved by now_, Jack thought, but made no motion to release the younger man.

"You dream about me?" Jack found himself asking in a murmur.

"Sometimes." Jonas breathed, tracing the hand on Jacks shoulder down his arm.

Jack closed his eyes against the sensation. It was soft and tingling. When he opened them again, he found Jonas frowning at him. "What?"

"Nothing Colonel."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Jonas… I think you can call me Jack. Like you did in your dream."

Jonas smiled. "Jack."

His name rolled from the Kelownans tongue in a most mesmerising manner. Jack watched the young mans lips and licked his own, drawing in a breath. _Yep, definitely hot in here._

After a long while of silent holding, Jonas smiled. "I think you can let go of me now." He said gently, releasing his hold on Jack.

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Sure." but his hands didn't seem to be obeying his head. In fact they were being down-right traitorous and rubbing circles into the other mans warming skin.

Jonas sighed, half closing his eyes. "Jack."

Jack smiled as Jonas breathed his name. He had never realised how soft the aliens mouth looked. How inviting -

"Jack." Jonas said, suddenly. He pulled away a little. "Stop."

A blast of cool air hit Jack and something seemed to snap back into place. He was very aware of the fact he was nearly naked and clinging to another nearly naked man.

He released Jonas so quickly, the Kelownan rolled onto his back, smacking his head on the floor.

"Damn." Jack moved to help, but was batted away by Jonas' free arm. "Sorry, Jonas." he mumbled.

"It's ok." Jonas assured him, quickly grabbing his sleeping bag and covering himself to face away from the Colonel.

Jack felt too ashamed to say anything. He'd probably just scared the poor kid to death, holding him and leering the way he had.

He wanted to say something to apologize… but 'hey kid, sorry for holding your hot, young body close to mine' didn't seem appropriate.

He rolled over and went to sleep.

()()()

The next day saw Jonas disappearing down an unstable looking corridor and Jack swearing, then following the scientist.

When they had woken up it had been a little awkward. Jonas had been up first and had smuggled some real coffee in his pack to help Jacks mood. They had eventually begun discussing what Jonas wanted to explore as Jack explained he would check the immediate area for hostiles.

None were found and nothing was mentioned of the holding and the sighing from the previous night. It was soon forgotten as Jonas revelled in the new ruins they had found.

They now stood in an underground compartment, almost directly under their tent. Jonas was babbling about it once having been above the surface and a meeting place for the Go'uld to recreate.

"Kinda like Disney for snakes?" Jack asked.

Jonas smile widened. "Yeah, you could say that."

Jack turned to him, by this point realizing he shouldn't have been surprised by what the young man knew. "You know Disney?"

Jonas was tracing a line of writing on the wall and answered. "Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Beauty and the Beast, Atlantis… yeah. Watched them."

Jack shrugged, but was impressed by Jonas' interest in cartoons. When they got back he would have to steal him away and introduce him to Bart, Homer and Mr Burns…

_Steal him away?_ Oh, shut up.

"Colonel," Jonas' called him back from his thoughts. "There's a secret room back here."

Jack considered telling Jonas not to touch anything, but knowing his scientists, that would be pointless.

Sure enough, Jonas pressed a notch in the wall and a section groaned open. Jonas was through it before Jack could protest.

"Damn." He mumbled to himself and followed the Kelownan, but he didn't expect what he found on the other side.

It was a surprisingly ornate room, with high ceilings and tapestries. It all looked vaguely familiar. Jonas was heading toward a door at the far end of the room and stepped out of sight.

Jack followed without hesitation.

The room they had entered was plain enough, with a mechanism at it's centre. This was defiantly feeling off for Jack. He was about to suggest they leave the room for the time being, when a column of light erupted from the machine.

He was immediately caught by the hypnotic play of lights and colours that fountained from the device. The breathtaking rainbow was accompanied by a warm and comforting feeling that washed over Jacks body.

In the back of his mind, he registered that he had experienced this before and realised this was the same addictive machine they had encountered on a previous mission; on a planet that served as a giant Go'ould opium den.

This was bad.

With a great effort, he turned his head to Jonas.

The young man was breathing hard. He was covered in sweat and having a difficult time controlling the effects of the device.

Jack swallowed. The pulsing in his body was quite distracting. He knew he had to leave, but the sensation was just too good to ignore.

Then Jonas turned.

The young man looked straight into Jacks eyes and the feeling in the room changed.

Jack noticed how firmly the Kelownan stood. How the strong column of his neck led down to his broad shoulders. How his arms flexed and were held tightly against a firm hip. How toned his thighs were…

They were both panting now, looking at each other with unwavering want.

This was insane. But Jack couldn't look away. All he knew was that it was getting too damned hot in here.

He moved a hand to his jacket and pulled at the zipper.

Jonas watched the movement, eyes raking over the colonels body. He swallowed hard and watched Jack remove the garment, transfixed.

Jack was caught off guard when Jonas mirrored his movements, before his toned arms raised his t-shirt above his head and pulled it free. He discarded the top and Jack watched the tiny beads of sweat trickle down the mans tanned chest to his navel and then lower…

The next thing he knew he was striding toward Jonas, the young man meeting him half-way.

Their lips crashed together, like long-awaited water.

The feel of the other mans chest against his was electric as Jack pressed him closer.

He pushed his tongue between Jonas' lips and explored the other mans mouth frantically as Jonas took a grip on Jacks t-shirt and broke the kiss to wrench the shirt free.

Their lips collided once more as Jonas sucked Jacks tongue into his mouth, making the Colonel moan in desire.

Without knowing how, Jack found himself pinned against a wall.

He had Jonas' leg rubbing between his own as the Kelownan bit his lip to end the mind-blowing kiss.

They panted together a while as both men registered their arousals straining against each other.

Jack was hit with another wave of heat and pushed away from the wall.

He landed on Jonas with a thud, but the breath that left the young man on impact was soon recovered as Jack descended on his lips again. His hands went, automatically, for the fly of Jonas' pants.

Jonas, however, had other ideas and used his strength to flip Jack over. He had removed Jacks pants before the Colonel knew it happened and Jonas' hand was snaking its way up Jacks thigh.

"Jonas…" Jack hissed. In the back of his mind he knew something was wrong. It was only a moment of rational thought. "Jonas, something isn't right."

The Kelownan bit down on Jacks collar. "Shut-up." He grunted.

"What?" Jack asked, the haze of desire swirling up to over-take him again. "What did you -"

"Shut-up, Sir."

Jonas snarled as Jack flipped him.

The Kelownan crashed over the Earthers head. Jack scrambled to his feet, struggling to keep a grip on reality and not a focus on the hot, hard body that was sprawled before him.

Jonas turned to him, a feral look of want in his eyes. He was prone on all fours.

Jack vaguely wondered if he could get to the door before Jonas caught him.

Another pulse coursed through him and part of him wanted the Kelownan to catch him and press that fine body against his -

Jack shook his head and tried again. "Jonas…"

The young mans green eyes hadn't wavered. He was staring intently at Jack, breathing hard and waiting for any kind of movement.

"There is something wrong." Jack felt a throbbing deep within him. He closed his eyes and pushed the feeling as far away as he could. "We have to get out of here."

There was no sign of understanding in his team mate, so Jack went to move to the door.

He was right in what he had thought. He didn't make it.

The Kelownan barrelled into him, knocking the older man to the floor with a thud.

Jack opened his mouth to cry out, but Jonas covered it with his own.

It was at this point Jack stopped fighting. He wasn't sure if it had been a conscious decision, or the body pressed on top of him, but his arms sealed around the Kelownan and pulled him down.

Jonas moaned as Jack ground up to meet him.

He clawed at the younger mans back, pressing him down and burying his face in the soft brown hair.

The scent of Jonas drove any semblance of sense from Jack as he planted a marking bite on the Kelownan's neck.

Jonas hissed and pressed a hot hand to Jacks groin, taking a firm hold.

"Need you." Jonas grated as he pushed into Jacks pants. "Now."

By that point, Jack agreed.

Shucking away his pants, Jack practically tore at Jonas until flesh met flesh.

They were naked and drenched in sweat by the time their skin met once more.

And it was coarse and hard… but oh, so good.

And Jack tried pushing Jonas to the ground, but the young mans strong muscles held him firmly in place as he attacked Jacks neck and shoulders with his tongue and teeth.

It was war as Jack pushed his head back into the solid floor and pulsed with pleasure, smelling the sweat of Jonas, feeling his heat and attraction, driving him wild.

Jonas shuddered to Jacks touch as he ground down, pressing the Earther into the floor… he gripped Jacks thighs and wrapped them round his waist.

Jack cried out from the harsh strokes Jonas administered to his throbbing cock as the Kelownan bent down to whisper hoarsely in his ear.

"Do you want me?" Jonas asked, pushing his tongue into Jacks mouth.

The Earther gasped for breath to whimper, "Yes," as Jonas rounded his hands on Jacks ass and pushed him up to meet the hard, alien flesh.

"Want… you…" Jack managed as a deep throbbing engulfed him and Jonas' grip slid lower.

"You are such a slut." Jonas growled, sliding a finger inside Jack. "I could take you right now."

"Right now!" Jack agreed as Jonas' free hand circled his arousal once more.

"Right here." Jonas ground out, adding another finger and pushing into Jack with added urgency. "Where anyone could see?"

Jack bit back a sob as the colours exploded around him, his body pulsing, his back arching…

"Yes." He hissed as Jonas positioned himself and drew Jacks legs further around his waist.

"Say it." Jonas insisted, quickening the strokes on Jacks straining mass.

"I want you Jonas."

The Kelownan smiled, prodding Jack with his interest. "And?"

"I need you." Jack pleaded, watching the play of colour and emotion run over the young mans face. "Now!"

Jonas thrust into Jack, hard, forcing the breath from the Colonel. Filling him completely.

Then he was gone, causing an involuntary sob to rip from the Earther.

Jack was painfully hard now, Jonas ramming into him with exquisite pace. The lights surrounding them blanketing their bodies in a euphoric glow.

The Kelownan picked up pace, clamping his lips over Jacks, gasping, rasping into the Colonels waiting mouth.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut as Jonas moved around him.

Inside him.

He jerked wildly at the other mans touch, silently screaming into the mouth panting into his.

Jonas threw his head back and pushed into Jack, quaking as he came. The movement sent a hot bolt of pleasure shocking through him and before Jack knew it, he had emptied onto Jonas as the Kelownan lowered them both to the floor.

It got blurry from there.

They were both shivering in the after-glow as Jonas slipped onto his side and Jack snaked an arm around the man.

His chest felt so tight, he was panting as if they had completed a marathon… of sorts.

Jonas seemed in a similar state and Jack realised he couldn't find the strength to move and check on the cooling body at his side.

At some point the noticed that the erotic play of colours that had danced over Jonas had halted. The mechanism in the room stood dormant. No lights… no pulses… no waves of arousal or pleasure washed over him.

The floor was cold and his knees began to ache.

He eventually released Jonas and pushed himself up on his arm to see the man.

The Kelownan did not meet his gaze, but tensed as if he could sense Jacks eyes upon him.

"Jonas…" Jack began. He was so confused. What the hell had just happened between them?

Jonas' green eyes flickered up to the Earther, filled with guilt and remorse. "Colonel," he said with a tremor, "what I said… what I…"

"Colonel?"

Carter's shout from the surface knocked both men from their aborted conversation.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c's voice sounded anxious, "Jonas Quinn?"

"Aw, crap!" Jack breathed as Jonas' naked form scuttled away from him.

Bad timing.

()()

"Colonel."

Jack was struggling to clamber out of the chamber and zipping up his pants, when Carters panicked voice sounded at the entrance of the corridor.

He was about to call out his location, when he glanced back at Jonas who was retrieving the last of his clothes. Jack scrambled to the entrance and called after his 2IC, blocking any view inside as effectively as he could.

Carter and Teal'c were soon with him, looking relieved.

"Was something wrong sir?" Carter asked, a little breathless.

Jack tried to stay calm, imagining the great neon sign above his head reading 'I just got laid'.

He shrugged and asked, "Nope… why?"

"You are over three hours late for the rendezvous O'Neill." Teal'c informed him with a raised brow.

"No, that's impossible…" Jack drifted off. He remembered the time variation they encountered the last time they had been in the presence of a Goua'ld opium machine.

It was quite possible he and Jonas had been at it for hours.

Jack tried to stop an involuntary grin spread over his face at the thought. But the machine had simply turned itself off a few minutes ago.

"Where's Jonas?" Sam asked.

"Here." The alien answered, pushing Jack a little out of the way to see his other two team mates.

Jack startled at the contact and the two men quickly looked away from each other.

Teal'c raised his second eyebrow at them.

"God, Jonas…" Sam took in the young mans appearance, "what's happened to you?"

The Kelownan startled, glanced at Jack and then to Sam. He quickly realised she was referring to bite marks on his neck.

"Erm…"

"Sir! Your shirt!"

Jonas eyes went wide as he took in the tattered material he had scrambled at merely moments before.

"It looks like you've been attacked." Carter said, reaching out to Jack.

The Colonel quickly side-stepped her and placed guiding hands on his subordinate and Jaffa.

"Yes, we were attacked." He said with a back-ward glance at the guilty looking young man behind him. "I wouldn't recommend anyone go down there."

"Attacked by what?" Sam asked.

Jack faltered. Jonas caught up.

"Some type of centurion device." Jonas said, sounding a little less convincing than Jack would have hoped.

"Why did you not radio for back up?" Teal'c asked, not seeming to buy into this quickly concocted cover story.

"There was a machine blocking our signals."

Jack tried to steer the conversation away from any dangerous areas, until he had a chance to talk it through with Jonas. "How long were we out of contact?"

"Almost two hours, Sir."

Carter looked as is she was about to say something, but Jack held up his hand with the weight of authority. "Sorry to disappoint you Carter, but we're ok. We took care of it… and now I just want to gate home."

Teal'c was walking behind them with Jonas, looking over the young human very closely. "Do you not wish to hear what Major Carter and I discovered during our investigations of the city?"

Jack grimaced inwardly and dropped back, walking side-by-side with the Jaffa. "Big honkin' space gun?" He asked optimistically.

"No." Teal'c said, raising a brow.

Jack gestured flippantly. "Then it can wait. Let's just get back to base."

()()()

Jack had figured things would be easier when they got back to base. A white lie here, misconception there and he could grab Jonas and talk this through with him. But, as Jack found often, things were never easy for him.

He walked into a side room in the infirmary and stopped short when he saw Jonas sat on the edge of a gurney.

"Colonel." Jonas said in surprise, pushing himself up.

"Jonas." Jack greeted, trying not to look too closely at the man. "Old Doc Fraiser want to have a chat with you too?"

Jonas nodded dumbly.

They weren't stupid. They knew the reason behind the Doctors summons to the private treatment room.

"Gentleman." Fraiser acknowledged as she entered, making notations on the pad in front of her before closing and locking the door.

"Doctor Fraiser." Jonas leapt to his feet.

"Doc." Jack greeted and tried to sound casual. "What's this about?"

"Oh, I think you know very well what this is about, Colonel."

Jack couldn't avoid the stare of Janet Fraiser. He tried to keep all emotion from his face, but when he turned to Jonas, the young man had 'guilt' and 'nausea' written all over him.

"Perhaps we should start with an explanation from you, Mr Quinn."

Oh yeah, the Doc was good. Find the weakest link, then target and destroy. Jack could see his career going down in flames.

"Alright." He jumped in before Jonas had the chance to apologise until he turned blue. "There was an… incident on the planet."

"An _incident_?" Janet threw the pad down on the nearest desk. "All I can say colonel, is that you are damned lucky _I_ examined you and not another one of the medical team."

"What? D'ya think I asked for you for your outstanding bedside manner?"

_Ooops. She hadn't taken that one too well… try another tactic Jack. _

"We trust you." He looked at Jonas, but the Kelownan was too busy studying the patterns on the floor at the moment to take any decisions. "And we needed you _and only_ you to help us through this."

Bingo! There comes the healer look in her eyes.

"Something happened to us." Jack started. Janet held his gaze. "We were in a room, with some kind of machine… like the one we got addicted to a few years ago on that Gou'ld opium planet."

Janet looked to Jonas and back to Jack. "I'm taking it that the side effects weren't just time-loss…"

"Oh, there was time-loss… but also, an animalistic… feral…" Jack gulped, "sexual-drive."

"I didn't hurt him, did I?"

Jonas' interjection caused Janet and Jack to swing round to see him. The Kelownan had twisted the sheet on the gurney in his hand. He looked like a kid who was about to get shouted at. And, damn, it was almost cute.

Jack shook himself and turned back to Fraiser.

"No." Janet said slowly. "There's no permanent damage Jonas."

The Kelownan dropped the sheet and looked a little less worried, but he still seemed ready to bolt for it the moment someone opened the door.

"It just…" Janet frowned and looked at Jack, "didn't look consensual from the bruising."

"Oh, it was consensual." Jack said before stopping himself. Jonas and Janet looked a little shocked and Jack hastened to add, "You know, for two drugged up people in front of an orgasmo machine…"

Janet held up her hand. "I get the picture, Colonel."

Jonas went back to rending the bed sheet.

"Doc…" Jack moved toward her, "Is there any way we can keep this… off the record?"

Fraiser looked at Jack, then to Jonas. "I haven't heard a word you said." Janet smiled tightly and picked up her pad. "And in the next ten minutes these medical reports will have an unfortunate incident with a shredder."

Jack beamed a smile at her. "You're a Goddess!"

Janet rolled her eyes, "Though I would insist you inform the General. Simply to prevent further exposure to air-force personnel." With that, she left the room.

A moment passed, before Jack turned back to Jonas. The Kelownan was watching him, though his head was turned down.

Jack moved to the young man and took the sheet from his hands. "Somethin' on your mind?"

Jonas looked up at Jack and for a split second there was a hint of the wild look that possessed him on the planet… but then it was gone.

"No cameras in here Jonas. No recorded conversations."

"I…" He began, but was cut off when Sam opened the door.

"Colonel," She beckoned, "Jonas, de-briefing in ten minutes."

Bad timing, Jack thought bitterly as they followed his 2IC out of the room.

()()()

Jack was happy to say the de-briefing was short and there was little need to concoct much of a story before hand. The explanation that the device was similar to the opium device was enough for Hammond to ask no further questions and designate the planet as dangerous.

They left it there and said no more.

Jonas had seemed relived when he had left the room, but Jack couldn't leave things the way they were with the young man, so he followed the General and made a request.

The Kelownan's eyes almost popped out on stalks when he opened his quarters to find the Colonel standing there with a bundle of clothes in his arms.

"Pack up Jonas," he ordered brightly, "I just got us some down-time." Jack tried hard not to think of the double-entendre the phrase held.

Jonas spluttered and tried valiantly to find excuses for remaining on the base, but half an hour later they were both buckled into Jack's jeep, heading back to his cabin.

"There really is no need for this, Sir…" Jonas said for the millionth time.

"Oh… I beg to differ." Jack swung the jeep into the parking bay. "I think there is a definite need for this. You and I have some stuff to work out."

He pulled into the drive-way and unloaded two crates of larger before Jonas has even unbuckled his seat belt.

"C'mon Jonas," Jack said, opening the door, "the beer aint getting any colder."

The Kelownan slowly followed the Colonel into the cabin. He hovered in the doorway for a moment, before joining the Earther in his kitchen. There was a capped bottle waiting for him when he got there.

Jack was arranging some food as Jonas watched, gulping his drink.

"Pass me a bowl, will you, Jonas. Bottom cupboard to the left." It hadn't been a good suggestion. Jack turned to get a full view of the Kelownan's tight backside.

He bit back a gasp and couldn't drag his eyes away from the exposed flesh beneath the rim of the young man's t-shirt.

Jonas straightened to give Jack a curious look.

"I was thinking of nuts." Jack said, before correcting. "Er…peanuts. Or chips. Unless we call out for pizza."

Jonas smirked. "I think nuts are good."

Turning away as quickly as possible, Jack retreated to the kitchen.

_I was thinking of nuts?_ Yeah, Jack shrugged, so I'll never get an award for my brains.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Colonel?" Jonas called, following Jack into the kitchen.

"I can think of one or two things." Jack mumbled as he reached for the peanuts. "Nope. All good." He told the Kelownan. "But I do insist on one thing."

"What's that?"

"Call me Jack." The Colonel said, stretching out a hand to offer the bowl of snacks.

Jonas picked out a few peanuts and smiled. "Alright. Jack."

Jack felt drunk. The room swayed as Jones raised his fingers to his lips, pushed them past the moist, pouting mouth and sucked away the salt crystals.

"Are you alright?" Jonas asked a little breathlessly.

"Fine." Came the answer, if a little too quickly.

Jack moved past the Kelownan, to the relative safety of the living room. He kicked out a footrest and threw himself into the nearest easychair. "Take a load off, J."

Jonas eyed him cautiously.

"What? J not working for ya?"

Jonas smiled, slumping in the space next to his CO. "J could be either of us."

"What about Q?" He suggested, throwing a fistful of nuts to his mouth.

Jonas thought about it, biting his lower lip and squinting his eyes. "I dunno. Why can't you just call me Jonas?"

Jack shrugged defensively. "Coz we're buddies. And buddies come up with nicknames."

Jonas sucked at his fingers again, tasting the salt from before. "Yeah, sure. Q will do. I never thought of myself as your buddy though."

"Oh? Why not? Us common soldiers not enter into science circles?" "It's not about you entering my circle, Jack." Jonas chuckled, before paling at the sentence… "Socially. I mean the social circle." Jonas said, quickly raising a bottle to his lips.

Jack turned away from the sight.

"Well. This will be your first night off-base," Jack said, reaching for his Simpsons DVD's as some form of protection. "Wanna meet some friends, Q-ball?"

Jonas looked at the box-sets Jack brandished and raised a brow, "I don't like Q-ball."

"Is it the ball thing?" Jack asked, teasing.

"I don't have anything against balls, " Jonas said, "except when you think I am one."

Jack thought about explaining the relevance of Q-ball for a moment, before concluding, it was a human-thing.

"What d'ya feel like doing then?"

Jonas placed his beer down firmly and looked straight at his commanding officer. "There's something I have wanted you to teach me for quite some time."


End file.
